Beneath a Twilight Star
by Lost and Never Found
Summary: Sequal to Under a New Moon! Tomoyo returns home after five hundred years to visit her mother's grave, along with Sesshoumaru and the rest of her new family.


**Here's the sequal you all wanted. I don't have plans for a full-fledged chapter story, but if like, twenty people?, tell me they want one, I'll lay out plans, though I have another Inu Yasha story I would rather write. Thanks to Nicole for editing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha (sob)!**

It had been millinia since she was here last, or so it seemed. Many people stared, mostly people who knew her supposedly six years ago, when she and Rizu disappeared. Recognition was on some faces, but most people couldn't quite place her, not surprising. So much had changed.

Her hair was as long as ever, and they had long since arranged for an illusion to hide its odd color, along with her markings and claws. Only her blue-violet and silver eyes remained the same. Her only jewelry was the gold wedding band, with a perfect, single diamond, and the silver earring in her one ear. Dressed in a deep blue silk dress that was fashionably cut with a low V-neck, kimono sleeves, a black sash just under her breasts, and black hems, it was balanced by the blue and black ribbons weaved into her braided and coiled hair and comfortable looking black sandals. The empire waist created by the sash was as much for the slight bulge of her tummy as for fashion. The thought of her expectant pregnancy made her smile and place her hand over her growing pup. After giving birth to three surprisingly energetic boys, she was ready for a girl, though Sesshoumaru was sure to throw a fit once she got old enough to date.

Sitting down on a nearby park bench to take a breather, she tried to remember the layout of the town. She was in front of the grocery store, and the post office was across the street. If her memory hadn't failed her after over five centuries of absence, her old home was down the street three more blocks on the right. So distracted by trying to remember the way, she didn't notice when someone plunked down beside her and stared at her inquisitively until they cried out with satisfaction, "Tomoyo Dashio!"

Stunned, she whirled around to look at a redheaded girl who's face was somewhat familiar. It took a few minutes for her to make the connection. "Anna Mae Watson?"

The woman beamed. "That's right! From high school! Never though I'd see you again, not after you and Rizu disappeared. Everyone else thought you were kidnapped or something, but I figured you finally ran away. It is so great to see you!" Anna Mae looked Tomoyo up and down, noting her obvious pregnancy. "So, when are you do?"

"Six months or so. If its anything like its siblings, it'll be late, though." Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "I swore to Sesshoumaru this was the last one. Never again. He says that unless its a girl, there will be another one because he knows how much I want a daughter after three boys."

"Three boys?" Anna Mae said sympathetically. She had been her mother's only daughter, born after two older brothers. "That has to be a mess. What did you name them?"

"The oldest is Tsukinosai, though only my mother-in-law calls him that. The rest of us happily call him Sai. His siblings are Touga, after Sesshoumaru's father, and Ichigo, after a friend of ours that passed away recently." Tomoyo left out the fact that Ichigo had actually been killed in the same battle as her father. "If this one's a girl, I plan to name her after my mother." It was amazing how even after all these years, her voice easily took on the local slurring of letters.

Anna Mae nodded, then said, "So, your husband's name is Sesshoumaru? What's your new surname?"

"Tairo."

"Well that's hardly different at all!" The two women enjoyed a brief laugh over it. "How about Rizu?"

"Happily seeing a girl, though I think it may be getting serious soon." Tomoyo's lips twitched. Rizu was actually dating Inu Yasha and Kagome's first born daughter, a sweet little hanyou named Eri. Apparently, youkai blood couldn't be deluted less than half, so the two seemed like a perfect match, much to Sesshoumaru's dislike. He didn't like dealing with Inu Yasha anymore than necessary, even though they had stopped trying to kill each other in the last century or so. Tomoyo and Rizu, however, were as close as ever. Family dinners were interesting affairs, to put it lightly. "But what about what's happened here?"

The redhead rolled her eyes, "Oh, you know it never changes. I've taken over the store, since James and Tom left. Still chasing after Don McConnell; he's now the postmaster. Everyone else has left, or just married their high school sweethearts and gotten jobs around town."

Hesitating only a moment, she dared to ask, "And Alan?"

Surprised by the question, Anna Mae said, "Still in that old pigsty of a house. Gone to pieces without you and Rizu around. Why? Thinking about paying a visit?"

Sighing, Tomoyo nodded, "I felt it was only right that I say good-bye to him. Rizu is planning on doing it too, once he's made up his mind about this girl he's seeing. Probably won't be till next year. I'm planning on stopping at Irene's place and picking up a wreath for Mama's grave by myself this year, though I'll drag Rizu here next time if I have to."

"What about your husband?"

"He'll be waiting for me at the gate. He believes that you should only visit the grave if you know the person who's burried there. Not that he has any graves in his family to visit. They scatter their ashes in the seas around Japan traditionally." Tomoyo said and stood up, making sure not to lose her balance. Sesshoumaru said that if he noticed so much as a scrape on her when she came back, he'd cheerfully put her on permanent bedrest till the pup was born. Ever since he missed out on Sai, he was over-protective to a large degree when she was pregnant. "Guess I better get this over with."

"Tell you what." Anna Mae suggested, "I'll call over at Irene's and order the wreath. You can go see your father, then go pick it up and be off to the graveyard without having to go out of your way any."

Smiling with gratitude, Tomoyo said in relief, "Thank you, Anna Mae. I'll owe you. Cherry blossoms and yellow roses, with a white ribbon, please."

"Of course, hun. Now hurry along so you don't need to stay on your feet long. Slip of a thing like you doesn't need to be running around all over the place when you are pregnant like this. And call me when the baby's born!" Laughing, Tomoyo hugged Anna Mae good-bye and pressed onward for her childhood home.

Just as Anna Mae had said, it wasn't the picturesque house from when her mother was alive, or the decent shape from when she had been in charge of taking care of the house. She was surprised the police hadn't demanded he left it or cleaned it up. Walking up the cement walkway, she touched the beams of the patio, noting that there was little white paint left on them.

"Who's there?" a voice slurred, obviously drunk despite it being late-afternoon. "Is that you, Sheriff?"

"No, Alan." Tomoyo said clearing. There was silence, then the sound of glass shattering as her step-father staggered to the door.

He was no longer the handsome man who convinced a young girl, pregnant out of wedlock, to marry him. His blonde hair was almost complete gone, and his eyes were bloodshot. It looked like he hadn't bathed for months. "Tomoyo?" he said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"Seeing what became of you after I left." she said simply.

A hoarse laugh came from his throat as he took a swig of whiskey. "I don't believe that. You need money, don't ya?"

Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him, "I'm well-cared for by my husband."

"Husband? Really?" Again, he laughed cruelly. "What man would want to marry you?" Only then did he seem to take in her pregnancy. "Oh, I see. You got yourself knocked up, so he had to marry you."

"Not the case." she said coolly, keeping a firm grip on her temper. "Besides, this is my fourth child. I have three sons who I am unrepentantly proud of, and whose father loves them beyond belief. He also loves me. In fact, I had to fight him to come here. If he had his way, I would in bed where I couldn't risk losing this child."

Alan looked staggered by this little speech. He hadn't ever imagined Tomoyo growing up and having a family of her own. Now she was standing back in front of him, heavy with her fourth child and obvious well cared for. Resigned, he realized that she wasn't ever coming back to take care of him and his house. Snarling, he threw the empty bottle in his hand at her, though it was a good three feet wide. Not even blinking, she turned and briskly walked away.

Only when she was a good distance away from him did she stop and lean against a wall, sighing in resignation. While she knew this visit wasn't going to be pleasant, this was worse than she had thought. Rubbing her temples to fight an incoming headache, she hurried over to the flower shop to pick up the wreath and go to her mother's grave.

It was a longer walk to the cemetary than she remembered. By the time she reached the plot of soil where her mother was burried, her feet were killing her and she was out of breath. Resting her hand on her belly, she remembered to take deep breaths to steady out her heartbeat. Then, with a soft smile, she began to talk to her mother. She described waking up in the Feudal Era of Japan, being rescued by her mother-in-law, her marriage to Sesshoumaru. When she spoke of the time when Sesshoumaru was thought dead, her throat caught and it took her a few minutes to speak again. Finally, she pressed on, describing her children: Sai, who was as sarcastic as she was, Touga who was as silent as his father, and Ichigo, who was as energetic as Rizu.

When she finally finished, she ran her fingers over the tombstone and sighed. "I missed coming here to see you, Mama."

"Then we will have to visit more often."

Tomoyo jumped and turned around as a familiar pair of arms wrapped around her waist. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to him having both arms; he'd only had his new, regenerated one for the past century or so. Smiling softly as he did only around her, he pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss of greeting, before she whispered, "I thought you said you wouldn't come."

Turning her back around and placing his hands protectively over her belly, he whispered back, "I felt your anger through our bond. I knew you needed this Sesshoumaru." Tomoyo rolled her eyes. She had wasted three centuries trying to break him of the habit of refering to himself in third person. He had gotten better about it, but still slipped into occasionally. Personally, she thought he did it to annoy her. "Who were you angry at?"

"Who else?" she said in exasperation, then shook her head. "One thing's for sure: I won't be visiting him again. I'll come back only to visit Mama's grave." Touching the stone again, she sighed, "Too bad we couldn't have burried her with Father..."

"We couldn't find anyone's body. Not after that battle." Sesshoumaru reminded her. The battle was the last in the infamous war that drove the youkai into hiding permanently. It was doubtful they would ever reveal themselves again, not after that whole Dracula bit.

Sighing, she said simply, "I know." Laying her hand on her stomach, she grinned. "She kicked." She had to rely on Sesshoumaru to confirm whether it was female or not, and Tomoyo was hinting that she wanted the answer.

Sesshoumaru smiled in joy and placed his hand under hers to feel the pup's eager movements, then frowned. "The beats off... She shouldn't be able to kick so quickly again, unless there were two of them..." His eyes widened as he realized exactly what he was saying, and wishing he had kept his mouth shut.

"_Twins_?" Tomoyo squeaked breathlessly, ignoring that he had just confirmed her greatest wish. "I'm carrying _twins_? Sesshoumaru!" She whapped him hard on the arm. "You can't be happy with three boys who we barely handled, you had to get me pregnant with _twins_?!?"

"Tomoyo, love, I-."

"Way to go, Dad!"

The older inu pair rolled their eyes as their youngest son yelled from the gate of the graveyard. Typical that the boys would overhear their conversation right when Tomoyo lost her temper. Sesshoumaru said weakly as he led her down the path, "At least you'll have your girl."

"Shut up."

The boys laughed and embraced their parents, encouraging similar responses from them. The happy family left the small town behind for their home in Japan that had belonged to them for generations, and would continue to do so for many generations to come.

**Here you go! R&R!**


End file.
